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According to the latest United Kingdom census, published in 2012, around 25 percent of the population no longer believes in God, an increase of eight percent in only six years. The European average is higher still. Scandinavians, for example, with their atheist majorities, have traversed much farther along the road to rejection of observant gods and extravagant ritual. Their countries are among the most advanced, prosperous, peaceful and co-operative in the world and the people have found new ways to be kind to one another without agonising over a spy in the sky, an ever-watchful and judgemental God.

The large increase in the proportion of the United Kingdom’s unbelievers cannot be appropriated entirely to disaffection with either God or religion. The other factor is simply this: as members of the older generation die, their unconditional belief is not being conserved by a sceptical younger generation. The religious baton is not being passed on as unerringly as in yesteryear. Whatever doubts there may be about the educational standards of today, the young are generally better informed than their forebears ever were


Humanist Society

Scandinavians, for example, with their atheist majorities....

Wow. I find that fascinating. Outside of the Middle East, isn't the USA the most religious of all nations? I sometimes find the pandering here unbearable.

:-3 maybe just a thought and i was talking about this the other day..the world has changed so much in the last 80 years far more than any other century in history

and there are a few things that havent ...maybe the Church or the way they present

them selves is a little old fashioned ? :-3 im not a church go'er myself so i know very

little, but from what i do know that how i see it

me ... Buddha is maybe the nearest i come to religion tho i dont practice it does

seem to have a better way and beliefs for me ..

The Catholic church in Australia is going the other way . Instead of the layed back approach they used to have they are going back to wearing collars. Apparently people like authority. :-2:-2

Well, I figured out a long time back that religion didn't really have all that much to do with God, and God doesn't really have a lot to do with Religion, these days.

But then when you hear a vicar saying he doesn't believe in God, you have to ask what the point of the church might be.

Really? In what context?

On that front, I found this:

Congregation celebrates assembly - without religion | Reuters

I think people are striving for a sense of community these days, where ever they can get it.

fuzzywuzzy;1439517 wrote: I think people are striving for a sense of community these days, where ever they can get it.
So maybe the way forward is Humanism. It's all the good without the god.

Arena;1439540 wrote: So maybe the way forward is Humanism. It's all the good without the god.
That's easy for you to say. You go right ahead.

But I rather like having God around, thank you.

LarsMac;1439511 wrote: Well, I figured out a long time back that religion didn't really have all that much to do with God, and God doesn't really have a lot to do with Religion, these days.

But then when you hear a vicar saying he doesn't believe in God, you have to ask what the point of the church might be.


I think so much other good stuff Is within the church these days. Not sure about the USA but certainly here. I'm Involved with the church here mainly because of the homeless programme they do. But then, It seems our Vicar's recognise that people who join such programmes are not always religious and they don't seem to ram It down your throat.

Having said that, my brother Is deeply religious and converted to Catholicism some years ago. They seem rather heavier In the approach to Christian churches.

It's voting day here today. As I was walking into the church to vote a young fella reached out to shake my hand and introduce himself as running for school board supervisor - his name was Adam. As I shook his hand I looked him in the eye and asked him what he thought about atheism. He looked me back in the eye and said "it belongs in the schools".

I voted for him.

Ahso!;1439590 wrote: It's voting day here today. As I was walking into the church to vote a young fella reached out to shake my hand and introduce himself as running for school board supervisor - his name was Adam. As I shook his hand I looked him in the eye and asked him what he thought about atheism. He looked me back in the eye and said "it belongs in the schools".

I voted for him.
He was campaigning where you vote? I didn't think that was legal.

Is it? Is introducing yourself campaigning? It's done by locals all the time around here.

YZGI;1439592 wrote: He was campaigning where you vote? I didn't think that was legal.


He was there at the polling place, and influenced your vote. I believe that qualifies as campaigning. However, if he was more than 150 feet from the polls, then he was legal.

Ahso!;1439590 wrote: It's voting day here today. As I was walking into the church to vote a young fella reached out to shake my hand and introduce himself as running for school board supervisor - his name was Adam. As I shook his hand I looked him in the eye and asked him what he thought about atheism. He looked me back in the eye and said "it belongs in the schools".

I voted for him.Adam placed second in a field of five. He lost by only 141 votes. That says an awful lot about religious attitudes and for a guy who's willing to talk openly and positively about atheism. And I live in an area that is very religiously conservative.

Ahso!;1439664 wrote: Adam placed second in a field of five. He lost by only 141 votes. That says an awful lot about religious attitudes and for a guy who's willing to talk openly and positively about atheism. And I live in an area that is very religiously conservative.


A lot of people actually vote for a person based upon that person's qualifications for the job, rather than his religion (or lack of).

LarsMac;1439665 wrote: A lot of people actually vote for a person based upon that person's qualifications for the job, rather than his religion (or lack of).I consider religious belief a hindrance to such a job and the ability to discern one's qualifications. I'd say the same about patriotism.

AnneBoleyn;1439484 wrote: Scandinavians, for example, with their atheist majorities....

Wow. I find that fascinating. Outside of the Middle East, isn't the USA the most religious of all nations? I sometimes find the pandering here unbearable.


Actually, most Americans I know are as spiritual and religious as ever if not more so. (Thanks to a decade of war, gun violence, and terrorism!) We just don't go to church anymore. I know I stopped completely. I have absolutely no idea why church going is on the decline, although I know my reasons:

1. The increased demand on me from my jobs forced me to have to work on Sundays so that I can get caught up.

2. Church stopped being relevant to me as a way to meet people and as some kind of solace for stress and advice on living.

3. Personal worship (Prayer, internal conversations with God, etc.) became much more effective, comfortable, and logical.

Humanists have no problem with people wishing to be religious and we do not go cold-calling.

Your style of communion seems reasonable to me. It is your choice and not a dogma.

With Europeans shunning Christianity for humanism, atheism, whatever, the Muslims will become the religious majority of the Continent, at least in the West.

That's the bad news. The good news, of course, is that since Islamists mix politics and religion, they will remain less technologically proficient. (See: How Arabic mathematicians lost dominance to European mathematicians after the Middle Ages.)

AnneBoleyn;1439718 wrote: With Europeans shunning Christianity for humanism, atheism, whatever, the Muslims will become the religious majority of the Continent, at least in the West.


That is grossly dismissive AB. We are not second class citizens (whatever, indeed)

You fear the west will collapse if your religious faction diminishes. I think not!

Arena;1439731 wrote: That is grossly dismissive AB. We are not second class citizens (whatever, indeed)

You fear the west will collapse if your religious faction diminishes. I think not!


That is an interesting leap of logic, there.

LarsMac;1439744 wrote: That is an interesting leap of logic, there.


Thanks, LM, I thought so too.

That is grossly dismissive AB. We are not second class citizens (whatever, indeed)

You fear the west will collapse if your religious faction diminishes. I think not!



I'm not fearing anything here Arena. I may in fact be one of you, do you know for sure? You're really jumping to conclusions here, aren't you?

If only Muslims (a huge generalization I'm making) profess religion then they are the only religion. I'm not telling you to enroll in church to counteract that, am I?